Bonds Forged on the Double-Sided Anvil of Guilt and Praise: Maternal Manipulation in After the Fall and Suddenly Last Summer

Drawing on their own experiences, both Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams explored the boundaries of mother-son relationships within their respective plays: After the Fall and Suddenly Last Summer. What Miller and Williams portrayed in these works, however, is far removed from pure, selfless, and loving examples of maternal care. Rose and Violet Venable are both, in turn, guilty of manipulating their sons to suit their own needs—resulting in devastating psychological damages inflicted on both of their sons.